Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The 2009 Jamaican Christmas Mix - Merry Christmas!

Here it is, the 2009 Jamaican Christmas Mix! It has been a race against time getting this done in time for Christmas this year but I've pulled it off! Here's what you're going to hear...

We start it off with the man Triston Palma and the tune called "Christmas Jamboree." It's one of the few songs that I could actually get to play off the temperamental Merry Christmas From Black Roots LP that I griped about in November! A nice tune and I mixed in a bit of the version by Dickie Roots called "Christmas Rock."

Roman Stewart is up next with a wicked little number called "Christmas Affair" and it comes directly from good ol' 7" Jamaican vinyl on the Well Charge label. I love this tune!

We step back in time for a little ska number by Frank Cosmo called "Greeting From Beverley's" from 1963. It's taken from the Trojan Christmas CD boxset and it is definitely festive!

Next up is the DJ General Trees and his warning to children everywhere... "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" a 7" from 1985 on Maurice Johnson's Black Scorpio label. A smooth tune that I think you'll dig!

Jackie Edward gives us his interpretation of Irving Berlin's classic "White Christmas" and it comes from the various artists Christmas compilation CD called The Meaning Of Christmas released on the Jetstar imprint. A nice mellow vibe here and the sax work by Ossie Scott is fantastic!

The next song in the mix is by the DJ Shorty The President and it comes from his 1976 LP on the Cactus label called Presenting. The tune is called "Christmas Fair."

Norman T. Washington is up next with the tune "It's Christmas Time Again," from a 1970 7" on the Gas label.

Colin Roach and Anthony Malvo liven it up next with their tune "Merry Christmas" and it's taken off the 1989 King Jammy's Christmas Party LP on the Jammy's label.

The sweet voiced, June "J.C." Lodge gives us a reggae version of the classic Christmas carol "Joy To The World." It's from the 1984 RAS Records Presents A Reggae Christmas LP and has always been, in my opinion, one of the strongest tunes on the album.

Lloyd Seivright gives us his interpretation of the song "Mary's Boy Child" originally recorded and released in 1956 by Harry Belafonte. It is borrowed from the 2005 Pulse Records CD The Reggae Christmas Collection.

Massive respect to Bunnycounta for the next tune! "Christmas Season" by the DJ Lui Lepke and taken from his copy of the Merry Christmas From Black Roots LP, amazingly his copy plays through the tune without skipping and jumping 1000 times!! This is a nice rub-a-dub tune and I hope you like it. I've developed a love/hate relationship with this song... I love the song but the aggravation from trying to get it to play has kinda spoiled my appreciation.

Winston Francis, sounding a lot like Nat King Cole, with the twelfth song in the mix called "Here Comes Santa" and it comes from the aforementioned Reggae Christmas Collection on Pulse.

Verna Lee Powell is up next with a tune called "He Is My Santa Claus" and it's from a 7" on the Jama label... one of those tunes that grows on you the more you hear it. I ripped this record, put in the mix, removed it twice and finally just decided to put it back in. I'm glad I did!

Sandra Robinson and Lee "Scratch" Perry give us the song "Merry Christmas, Happy New Year" taken from the Trojan Christmas boxset mentioned above. This is a nice tune, kinda reminds me of Charles Brown's "Please Come Home For Christmas" because it deals with a relationship in trouble that's hoping to use the joyous time time of year to make amends.

The man Ringo drops his tune "Never Forget Christmas" and it comes from the 1970's era Dobby Dobson LP Sweet Christmas on the Top Ranking label. It's odd, I love the Ringo tunes on this album but Dobby's stuff is virtually unlistenable and he gets the star billing... go figure.

The late great (sadly, he just passed away in April of this year) Sonny Bradshaw, the dean of Jamaican music, is up next with a real rockin' take on "Little Drummer Boy" and it is awesome! It's actually called "Peace And Love" and is also from the Trojan boxset.

Barry Brown gives us his tune "Christmas Christmas" and it comes from a 1982 7" on the Hitbound label. Wicked Rub-a-dub Christmas stylee here!!

The man named Anthony Selassie is up next with the tune "Rub A Dub Christmas" from a 1989 LP called Youth Promotion Christmas Jamboree on the Youth Promotion label. A nice digital tune that kinda goes along with the Barry Brown song that preceded it.

Sliding back a few years for the next couple tunes... Hopeton & Primo give us "Peace On Earth" a wicked organ driven early reggae number and it's from the 2001 Trojan CD called Reggae Christmas - 21 Christmas Classic...Jamaican Style.

Taking a step to Studio One with the twentieth song in this year's mix... Tennessee Brown And The Silvertones give us their take of "Jingle Bells." It comes from the 1992 Heartbeat release Reggae Christmas From Studio One CD. Very Calypso styled and extremely festive!

Don Cornel (AKA Cornell Campbell) and the Eternals are up next with the song "Christmas Joy." It comes from a 7" on Harry Mudie's Moodisc label and to be completely honest, it is my favorite song in the entire mix. I hope you dig this one as much as I do.

Gettin' a little cheesy here with the next tune, The Gable School Choir's "Reggae Christmas" is up in the mix. I don't know why but I have always loved this song and I always get a little tear in my eye when the kids hit that final "Merry Christmas and Happy New Yearrrrrrr." But that's just me. :)

Neville Willoughby, longtime Jamaican broadcaster and journalist, with a little help from Clark Griswold is up with "Christmas In JA" and it comes from the Reggae Christmas CD on Trojan mentioned above. A nice tune if you don't mind a little whistlin'!

A nice dubby instrumental called "Christmas Rush" by producer Rupie Edwards is bringing up the rear. It comes from a various artists CD called "Let There Be Version"

Finally, we wrap it all up with a mash-up of all things... the Roots Radics meet Karen Carpenter, of all people, and it's absolutely wicked! It's from producer/DJ Mark Vidler and it has been a favorite of mine since he introduced it a couple years back. A nice upbeat way to wrap it all up.

Hope everyone enjoys the mix and has time to enjoy it! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!

Agh, but more suspense - can't wait for Mediafire to get their knickers untwisted so's I can hear this epic mix at last.

In the meantime, so pleased you added the Go Home Productions ending, my favourite Christmas confection of recent years. And by the way, Rupie Edwards has a music shop just round the corner from me. I saw him yesterday, and he sends Christmas greetings to you and your readers from a very chilly East London.

Me too, John - all the very best to you and your loved ones, and sincerest good wishes for a 2010 beyond your expectations.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone! Tim, I've always wanted to thank you for exposing me to the joy of reggae vinyl! I remember the first time I came across your table at the Timonium record fair and it was like hitting the jackpot, you were the only guy that had reggae! I had been buying reggae LPs for years mail order from RAS and on the occasional "buying trip" to Philly but when I came across the massive amounts of 45s and 12" you had up for sale it opened my eyes to another aspect of collecting I never knew about! You also hooked me up with some great cassette copies of Yellowman's stuff I had never heard and the copies of Night Of The Living Dread show you gave me as well were virtually worn out from repeated listening! When I started doing my reggae show on a local college radio station you and RAS also hooked me up with massive amounts of music for my show! I am very grateful I had the opportunity to make the connection with you and I really do appreciate all the musical education you provided me, nuff respect Tim!

LeAnn, everything on the blog here was generated using a Mac and once the mixes are downloaded and "un-RARed" they are playable through iTunes. If you are unable to unzip the rar file you need to download this program unrarx...